Auto radio speaker units for receiving and reproducing sound from drive-in theatres and the like



Sept. 7, 1965 E. R. EASTON 3,

AUTO RADIO SPEAKER UNIT OR RECEIVING AND REPR CING SOUND FROM DRIVE- THEAT AND THE Filed July 1961 LIK INVENTOR. EARL R. EAST'ON BY 4 Q ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,205,306 AUTO RADIO SPEAKER UNITS FOR RECEIVING AND REPRODUCING SOUND FROM DRIVE-IN THEATRES AND THE LIKE Earl R. Easton, Chesterton, Ind. (409 N. Ohio St., Hobart, Ind.) Filed July 3, 1961, Ser. No. 121,571 1 Claim. (Cl. 1791) This invention relates to improvements in auto radio speaker units wherein said units may be employed for receiving and reproducing sound from auto drive-in theatres, restaurants, churches and other establishments wherein music and sound is produced.

The primary object of my invention is to utilize the auto radio speaker to reproduce the sound emanating from drive-in theatres and the like, thus giving the listener a better control of such sounds, and at the same time reducing the cost to the drive-in theatre owner.

Another object is to provide each auto with two phone receptacles, one for each side of the auto, properly insulated from the auto body, each unit having a volume control and a speaker change switch, if the auto has two or more speakers.

A still further object is to provide units of this character that are inexpensive to manufacture and can be readily and easily installed on the automobiles.

With the foregoing objects outlined and with other objects in view that will be readily apparent as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the novel features hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawing,

FIG. 1 is an electrical diagram showing the car radio connected to the wiring system of a drive-in theatre sound producing unit;

FIG. 2 is an electrical diagram of the unit to be installed in the car;

FIG. 3 is an electrical diagram showing two speakers and volume control in an automobile;

FIG. 4 shows two autos connected to plug in from drive-in theatre.

FIG. 5 shows auto with my unit thereon plugged in to conventional drive-in post;

FIG. 6 shows connection between car and circuit of drive-in.

Referring to the drawing in detail 10 designates an electrical cord connecting the auto unit (not shown) to the drive-in theatre multiple connector 11 shown in FIG. 4, or to the conventional drive-in post 12 shown in FIG. 5.

Numeral 20 designates generally my improved unit which includes connecting receptacles 13, one on each side of the auto. These receptacles are insulated from the car body by rubber grommets 14, one on each side of the auto body as shown in FIG. 6, and comprise dielectrically spaced conducting elements.

As shown in FIG. 1, one of the wires 15 leads from one of the dielectrically spaced conducting elements of receptacle 13 to a corresponding dielectrically spaced element of the receptacle on the opposite side of the car and a wire 16 leads from said wire 15 to the volume control 17 on the unit. Also as shown in FIG. 1, a connection 18 is provided between the conventional drive-in post 12 and my unit 29. Of course, the conventional drive-in post 12 which is illustrated perspectively in FIG- URE 5 and diagrammatically in FIGURE 1 includes conventional speakers which are removable from their hitches on post 12 for placement in the interior of the auto which is not equipped with my invention. The above drawings show the ease with which a conventional drive- "ice in post 12 may be converted for connecting my invention to the signal producer and still maintain its prior art use if it is necessary or so desired.

As the auto with my unit thereon approaches a drive-in post 12, or similar signal producer 11 (FIG. 4), the cord 10 will be extended from the sound producer 11 or 12 and connected thereto as shown in FIG. 6.

As the connector plug 18 is plugged into one of receptacles 13 of unit 20 the speaker in the auto is automatically activated to reproduce sound emanating from the drive-in theatre, church, amusement park, etc.

The sound is controlled by the volume control 17 on the unit 20.

Where the auto has more than one speaker as shown in FIG. 3, I provide a speaker change control 19 for utilizing either speaker 21, 22, or both.

Reverting to FIG. 1, it will be noted that the wire 23 extends across the automobile connecting the other dielectrically spaced elements of receptacles 13 to the other whereby the drive-in plug may be connected on either side of the auto. It will be noted that the wire 23 leads to one side of the speaker 24. The wire 25 leads from the volume control on the unit to the opposite side of the speaker 24.

It is apparent from the above description taken with reference to the drawings that the circuit of my invention does not require that the circuit between the radio receiver and the speaker be interrupted and therefore does not contain connecting switches or contacts. In consequence thereof, my invention is extremely simple to install and virtually trouble free. Another important advantage of my invention is the fact that the radio may be played while the circuit of my invention is connected with the outdoor theatre speaker circuit. Once this connection is made, either the radio may be listened to or the sound of the outdoor theatre, merely by lowering the volume control of one and increasing the volume of the other and thereby selecting the desired source of sound by volume regulation. Of course, if the theatre sound is to be listened to, the radio may be turned off, however, it is desired on many occasions to have the theatre circuit connected to the radio speaker and until the outdoor theatre program starts, the automobile radio may be listened to. Also, my invention provides the advantage of listening to a radio announcement while the outdoor theatre sound system is connected to the speaker without disconnecting the circuit merely by lowering the volume control 17 on my circuit and turning on the radio and adjusting the radio volume to make the radio sound audible.

At the present time all drive-in theatres are using speaker hanger posts and it has been found that these posts constitute hazards as cars move in and out of such drive-ins. To eliminate this hazard caused by the posts, I propose to utilize a relatively tapered mount 11 (FIG. 4) in place of speaker hanger posts. Of course these tapered mounds will have the sound going to them from the drive-in just as the sound now travels to the speaker posts. With these speaker mounds it will be much easier for patrons to enter and leave their autos.

While I have shown and described what I consider to be preferred embodiments in my invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in the details herein disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention as expressed in the following claim.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

An automobile radio receiver-speaker unit wherein said radio receiver and speaker are connected by continuous electric conductors, the combination therewith of:

a connecting receptacle on said automobile having dielectrically spaced elements;

a continuous electric conductor connecting one of said dielectrically spaced elements of said connecting receptacle With one of said continuous electric conductors connecting said radio receiver and speaker;

lanother continuous electric conductor connecting the other of said dielectrically spaced elements of said connecting receptacle with the other of said continuous electric conductors connecting said radio receiver and speaker, said another continuous electric conductor having a variable resistor for controlling the volume of said speaker;

a signal source means exterior of said automobile; and

a plug exterior of said automobile comprising dielectrically spaced elements, for conducting said signal from said signal source means, said dielectrically spaced elements of said plug making contact with said dielectrically spaced elements of said connecting receptacle and completing a circuit through said first mentioned continuous electric conductor, said speaker, and said other continuous electric conductor for said signal from said signal source means, while simultaneously said radio receiver and speaker are connected by said continuous conductors.

5 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,968,546 7/34 Van Dyck 179-l 2,306,858 12/42 Berglund 179-l 2,573,122 10/51 Wieber 179--1 10 2,619,544 11/52 Satterfield 179 1 2,765,365 10/56 Grosh et al. 179-1 3,094,587 6/63 Dow 1791 OTHER REFERENCES 15 Feldman: The Case for a Third Channel, Radio and TV News, March 1959, pp. 70, 71, 104, 105.

Examiners. 

